Barkley and Buendía Put Villa Ahead
Aston Villa continued their perfect Champions League start. At Villa Park, early Thursday (22/10/2026) WIB, Unai Emery's side beat Viking 3-1 on league-phase matchday 3.
Villa opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. Ross Barkley glanced Ibrahim Mbaye's corner into the top corner with a looping header. In the 37th minute, Emiliano Buendía doubled the lead from the spot — the penalty awarded after a VAR review for Zlatko Tripic's foul on Alysson. The goal made Buendía the first Villa player to score in four consecutive European appearances.
Own Goal and Viking Consolation
Villa added a third in the 62nd minute. The impressive Alysson raced into the penalty area and delivered a low cross that Henrik Heggheim diverted into his own net.
Viking — who held Bayern Munich 3-3 last matchweek — finally broke through in the 84th minute. Peter Christiansen's goal was initially ruled out for offside, but allowed to stand after review. The 3-1 scoreline held until full time.
Level with PSG at the Top
The win gave Villa nine points from three matches — level with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the table, behind only on goal difference. Villa had previously beaten Club Brugge 3-2 and thrashed Fenerbahçe 6-0, the biggest European victory in club history.
Emery made five second-half substitutions — including bringing on Alejandro Garnacho — in preparation for this weekend's heavyweight clash with Manchester City. With a tougher schedule ahead, this perfect start is an important foundation for Villa.
No comments yet. Be the first!